edited as of 06/18/2021


The water she'd mooched off Todoroki was already helping to clear her head. Nodding her thanks, Miko joined the group and prepared to fight off the recovering villains. Unexpectedly, the sound of firing bullets echoed in her ears, and they watched as the villains went down, blood splaying from various parts of the fallen bodies. At the entrance, she could vaguely make out the figures of numerous pros gathered at the front. A relieved sigh escaped from Miko's chest.

"Thank Benten." Her shoulders drooped. "The pros are here."

The pros, and their teachers, made quick work of the situation, rounding up the villains and herding them all away to make sure they were okay. Miko's hair was still half up half down since she lost her hair tie earlier in her panic. Given the situation, she thought it best to just let what remained of her bun out, though she did jump a little when long silver locks brushed against her backside.

Outside the USJ, Miko waited patiently as she was examined by a young paramedic. Todoroki's ice helped make her feel better, and since she hadn't sustained any major injuries, she was given the okay to ride back on the bus with the rest of the class. Still, she'd already bit the bullet when she practically begged him to use his Quirk to hydrate her, and she wasn't exactly up to speed yet.

When she was allowed to leave, she watched and waited for him to be cleared, too exhausted to keep up her cool, prideful persona. She didn't even find her helmet. With her arms crossed, she gazed at seemingly nothing while policemen and UA staff wandered around her. Her classmates all gathering their own thoughts before they congregated in front of Detective Tsukauchi. Jiro called her out of her daze and pulled her to the group. The cat faced police officer who counted them off, ensuring each of them were present, let them go due to the fact that their interviews weren't especially urgent. Considering the trauma they just went through.

Miko allowed herself to be pulled along by Jiro who so far hadn't said a thing about the happenings inside the USJ, and Miko wasn't about to pry. Funnily enough, she just wished they could've actually done their rescue training with Thirteen. Laughing to herself, Miko was interrupted by a light tap on her shoulder. Both she and Jiro, who still hadn't said anything, turned around. To her surprise, a paramedic was holding out a plastic water bottle to her. "That young man over there said you might be a little dehydrated." He smiled pleasantly.

Turquoise eyes peered over to the direction the paramedic pointed to, widening slightly when they landed on a certain dual haired boy with a penchant for arrogance. Interesting. She bowed shallowly at the paramedic, gratefully taking the water bottle with two hands. As she took heavy gulps from, Jiro finally spoke up, "Were you and Todoroki dropped in the same zone?"

Wiping her mouth, Miko answered tiredly. "Yeah, we were."

The ride back to campus was definitely less lively than their drive over. This time, Miko sat with Jiro and Kaminari, who for some reason kept floating around the purple haired girl. A little bit more hydrated now, Miko was still exhausted and leaned her head against the window, eyes drooping until she succumbed to a light sleep.

Jiro gently shook her awake once they reached UA's main campus and Miko was grateful for her delicacy, quietly getting up and following her and the lightening dolt out of the bus and into their main building. Light conversation floated around the class. From her spot in the middle of the crowd Miko could smell the sweat and general body odor the group secreted. Holding the breath in her throat for a few seconds to avoid having to breathe in the smell of sweaty, dirty teens Miko looked around to see if anyone else was similarly bothered by the smell.

It was only then that Miko noticed that one of her classmates wasn't currently present. "Where's Midoriya?" She wondered aloud. Kirishima, who was walking a few steps in front of her, overheard her musings and turned to face her. "He was injured at the end of All Might's battle with that Nomu guy and broke his legs. He's in recovery right now!" Of course he injured himself, she thought. Miko didn't even have it in her to be irritated but crossed her arms on principle, the smell she tried to avoid breathing in now forgotten as she cursed the boy.

Kirishima took no notice of her posture. "Say, Tsukikawa, you did a pretty good job back at the USJ. I guess we can add you to the list of people in our class with flashy Quirks!" He was smiling widely at her, teeth on full display. She vaguely recalled the conversation on the bus he was referring to, but she'd been actively ignoring it so she couldn't say for sure. Despite his praise, she couldn't help the small twinge of disgust at her actions concerning Nomu. She had been brutal and relentless, and even when he was down, continued to slice and hack away at his body. "I just did what I could to help, Kirishima," she deflected easily.

He continued to smile easily at her, red light from the setting sun refracting through the glass windows danced across his face. "I guess that makes you worthy of being my rival, huh?" Miko just laughed, caught in a small trance his illuminated eyes put her in, with a small smile on her face. She liked how effortlessly and unknowingly her red haired companion could make her feel better.

Though they had escaped perilous danger, her shoulders were still tense.

In the girls' locker room, Yaoyorozu graciously used her Quirk to make a hair tie to replace the one Miko lost at the incident, and later once all the students wandered into their classroom to gather their things for the day they decided to exchange numbers- to keep in contact after everything that happened. Miko somehow managed to get every student's number in her phone. She could only assume that they all had her number as well. She put her cellphone in the pocket of her skirt.

Her costume, which desperately needed a washing, was packed and her materials all gathered, Miko walked out with the girls of her class, listening quietly to Mina and Asui talk about Thirteen's braveness. She learned that Jiro, Yaoyorozu, and Kaminari were stranded together and faced off against a villain with a lightning Quirk that set them all against each other in a hostage situation. Worry tightened in her chest, the whole ordeal was a huge mess and she truly wished none of them had to endure it.

The silver haired teen felt somewhat silly and stupid for wishing just earlier that day that she could somehow upstage Asui and the rest of her class.

Mina's voice pulled Miko out of her thoughts. "Hey, whose car is that?"

Miko's head jerked up. She recognized that car. There was a small decorative snake ornament at the end of the town car's hood, symbolizing the car's owner. Oh no. "Sorry guys, it looks like my family heard about the incident. I'll see you later," she said apologetically, rushing away from the girls. She didn't wait for them to respond and walked brusquely towards the shiny black vehicle parked in front of the school gates, expression tight. The window rolled down the closer she got. A man in a clean suit gazed at her imploringly. "Heard you got into a fight," he said. Wordlessly, Miko opened the door and unceremoniously threw herself in.

The man chuckled. "You know, when obaa called my agency and demanded I come get you, I expected you to look a lot worse." The silver haired girl didn't bother to look at him as she situated herself in the back seat. "I feel a lot worse."

The man took in her tired posture and grimaced. "Not quite like you expected, huh, river?"

Very much unlike her public school persona, Miko crumbled into a ball, hugging her knees to her chest. "Not at all," she mumbled.

The man her grandmother called to retrieve her was her older cousin, Ichigo. He was tall like his father, and handsome, and he was the only pro hero in the Shinoda family. When Miko decided five years ago that she wanted to be a hero, he reluctantly supported her decision and even went so far as to plead to their grandmother on her behalf when the time came to apply to UA.

He understood how difficult it was to try to convince the old Shinoda woman. Miko stupidly thought that just because he'd been enrolled in the hero course at Shiketsu that their grandmother would be more accepting of the decision, but she was very, very, wrong. It took a lot of persuading on her part to get Himiko Shinoda to agree, and she could only imagine what Ichigo had to go through as the first. She at least had him by her side.

Miko's hair fell around her small form like a moonlit waterfall, and she peered out from between her loose bangs at her cousin. His hero costume was bunched up on his lap, various shades of blue (not unlike the shades Miko wore on her own costume) sat vibrantly against his pale gray suit. Upon closer inspection, she could see the natural silver tone of his roots poking out between dyed, dark, navy blue hair. A stark contrast to his pale skin.

He reached out to pat her hair knowingly. "It's unfortunate that you had to experience your first villain attack like this, but now you have an idea of what it's really like."

Miko's voice was small, "I thought we were gonna die." Her hands trembled against her knees. Ichigo held his breath for a moment. He knew his younger cousin was strong, and stubborn, particularly when she set her mind to something; but seeing her now, physically well but making herself so small because she was afraid, hurt him more than anything. He grabbed her water bottle, almost empty, and handed it to her, "Here."

Miko silently took a sip, ignoring the small tears that fell down her cheeks. He sighed. "You know that if she sees you like this, she'll use it against you." She didn't look at him.

"I know."

And with that, Miko put her feet down on the bed of the car, wiped away her tears, and straightened her back.


With the ugliness out of the way, the rest of the ride was a pleasant one for Miko. She and Ichigo caught up with each other. They didn't get to see each other often since Ichigo left the compound to work as a sidekick for Yaoyorozu's father. He escorted her to her family's part of the compound, where her father was anxiously waiting for them to arrive. After assuring him that she was okay, he ushered the new arrival to the Shinoda matriarch's tea room.

Inhaling deeply, Miko steeled herself. Her father not letting her change into a kimono and rushing them to her grandmother's home spoke volumes of how important this meeting was. How she found out so quickly, Miko didn't know. As far as she could tell, the incident hadn't been reported by the news yet.

The small group gathered outside of the tea room's doors. In a perfect seiza, Miko's father spoke after pulling back the sliding door. He kept his gaze lowered. "Your guest has arrived, Lady Shinoda." The door slid further to allow Miko entrance. Behind her, her father and cousin stepped in quietly, taking a seat behind her when she placed herself in front of her grandmother.

The old silver haired woman addressed her, "Miko."

Said girl bowed respectfully, "Good evening, grandmother." She waited to hear her grandmother's words.

"How was school today?" Miko inwardly winced, but wisely kept her gaze lowered. "School was fine, grandmother." She paused for a moment. "Though there was an incident at the training facility."

"Do tell."

Miko's legs began to cramp. "At UA's Unforeseen Simulation Joint a group of villains calling themselves the League of Villains attacked the facility with the intent to kill the pro hero and UA faculty member All Might. In the process, the students were scattered around the facility and left to defend themselves against thugs meant to overwhelm pro heroes. The pros successfully suppressed the threat and no one was severely injured, save for a classmate who lost control of his own Quirk. The police are currently investigating the threat."

The matriarch gazed at her granddaughter. Her clothes were fairly well put together and, for the first time in a very long while, her hair was loose around her shoulders. She observed her with keen eyes and couldn't find any faults worthy of pointing out. Her posture was strong and her voice unwavering. The old woman considered her granddaughter.

"Very well." Red eyes continued to scrutinize the teenager. "Be sure to pray to Benten for your good luck."

"Yes, grandmother," Miko breathed out, relieved.

"You are dismissed, Miko. Akio, Ichigo, you two stay."

Miko bowed lowly to her grandmother and stepped out of the room. She carefully walked out of her grandmother's home, footsteps silent. Once out of the house, she allowed her posture to relax somewhat. That went much better, and quicker, than expected. She gathered herself and made her way to the shrine deep in the compound. It was already dark out, and she could hear the crickets chirping.

Fireflies danced around her, helpfully lighting the way towards the shrine, which was separated from the rest of the compound by a koi pond, requiring passage across a small wooden footbridge to reach the shrine. Passing through the torii gate at the end of the bridge, the silver haired girl silently thanked Benten for her grandmother's mercy before preparing a real prayer to thank the goddess for the safety of her classmates and teachers.

Miko lit some incense and clasped her hands together, closing her eyes and bowing her head in respect. She'd been named Miko as an acknowledgment to their family's heritage as caretakers of temples dedicated to Benten, formally regarded as the goddess of fertility and all things that flow: Benzaiten. The term miko referred to the shrine maidens in the Shinto religion and was collectively given to Miko as the firstborn granddaughter of the current Shinoda matriarch, who hoped the girl would have respect for the religion.

Prayers said and done, the silver haired girl glanced around the shrine, looking for things to clean. The small figurine at the center of the shrine stood spotless, and her bronze eyes seemed to bore knowingly into Miko's own turquoise ones as smokey tendrils emitting from the burning incense sticks danced and drifted around her. Looking away, Miko bowed when she decided there was nothing else she could clean away but the ashes of incense left behind by other family members.

Every time Miko crossed the threshold back into the compound, she felt like she was entering a different realm. When she was younger, she'd explained this feeling to her grandmother, who used to tell her that it was because she'd been born with white hair; and as such, she was blessed by Benten and would act as her messenger, able to navigate between heaven, earth, and the underworld — she simply waved her off when Miko pointed out that she, in fact, had silver hair, not white.

On this, their family in particular was extremely proud. According to the religion, Benten was associated with a white guardian snake of rivers; hence, the family's endearing nicknames for each other. Stories passed down by her great grandmother told them that their silver hair, perhaps once white, signified them as recipients of Benzaiten's blessing, favored for their devotion to her. The stories also associated their hair with their genetically strong water Quirk, only in the family stories, it was a blessing given to them by Benzaiten, who has a strong connection with water.

Of course Miko knew they were just fantastical stories, but who wouldn't like to believe they had the favor of a goddess keeping them safe? The stories were nice to tell until the family conglomerate became more involved with Quirk research. Each Shinoda also knew that the stories couldn't be true once their Quirks developed and they were taken to the Quirk specialist for diagnosis. Surprise, surprise, Shinoda's had water Quirks.

[Despite the evidence, she still secretly believed that Benzaiten blessed their family with water Quirks (as did most of the family)].

Having fulfilled her duty, the silver haired girl carried herself back to the heart of the compound where she found Ichigo pensively waiting for her by the door to her family home. She wasn't sure if she was surprised to seem him waiting or not. "What'd she say to you?" Miko asked curiously. Though the meeting was over, the worst of it was yet to come. It was always a good idea to be wary of their grandmother.

Running a hand through his messy dyed hair, he chuckled, amused by his cousin's concern. Taking time to school his face, he spoke evenly, "She just thanked me for bringing you home, asked about work, reminded me to pray. Nothing you need to concern yourself with." He led Miko into the house. Some things were better left unsaid, he thought, as he led her towards the entrance of her home. "I thought since you were already hogging up the temple, I'd give you some space while I visited mom."

"Oh yeah, how is auntie?" It had been a while since she'd seen her aunt Kisa. Ichigo smiled, "She's doing well. Misses me, of course. You should see her more often." Miko nodded along, she'd make a point to talk to her aunt soon. She unconsciously pulled at a strand of her hair.

Ichigo stopped to face her squarely in front of the door that would lead him out of her home and back to reality. He stood quite a few feet above his younger cousin, he hoped for her own sake she would grow a few more inches. He looked at her fondly, resisting the urge to ruffle her hair the way he did when she was younger. "I have to leave already," he said apologetically, "early patrol to make up for the hours I missed picking you up from your fight." Miko grimaced but humored her cousin by chuckling. He walked himself back out the door, "Hm, yeah, too soon. Be sure to tell uncle I said goodbye!"

She waved weakly as he stepped out, turning back to the door when he suddenly popped his head through again. "Miko, you know I'm only a call or text away right?"

"Yeah, I know." He smiled and left for real this time.

The silver haired teen sighed heavily. She held herself, remembering the uncertainty she felt throughout, the fear when she realized that she might not make it back to her family. The true reality that pros faced when working to protect the peace and general populace. The jarring truth that common citizens wouldn't ever understand until they had the misfortune of falling under their guardianship. Since she was still by the entrance, she decided to visit the shrine her family prayed to every morning. Crossing the distance from the front door to the end of the hall, tucked into her own little corner, was the shrine dedicated to her late sister, Riko.

Highly decorated and regularly cleansed, the altar was centered on a photo of an almost five year old Riko, retouched to age her a bit to resemble her as she would have appeared had she not been deathly ill at the time of her passing. The frame featured a young girl with long silver hair, pale skin, and bright red eyes that Miko felt following her every time she left for UA.

Her little sister's face was round and her expression conveyed how joyful she'd been in her short life with a dimpled smile gracing her person. Her death was a tremendous blow to the family, despite the time they had to prepare themselves for it. Fortunately or unfortunately, their goddess Benzaiten blessed their family with more time to spend with Riko, who's slow passing spanned the course of three years after she received a devastating diagnosis in their own hospital confirming a terminal illness there was no cure for.

In that moment, as she gazed at the photo with a bittersweet expression, she felt the weight of the world on her shoulders. Hugging herself pitifully, Miko's eyes welled at the photo of Riko. Tearfully, she spoke with a broken voice as she confided in her. "I was never meant to be a hero, Riko." Her knees wobbled. She'd loved her sister fiercely, Riko was all Miko had when they were children. They played together, ate together, their names even rhymed, and everything Miko did was for Riko. Miko had the great expectation of being a good older sister, loving and protecting Riko was all she knew when she was alive.

Riko was the one who loved heroes. Riko was the one who forced Miko to watch all those videos, newscasts, and interviews of various pros, even going so far as to quiz Miko on her knowledge, who's whole world was centered on Riko.

Miko never cared for heroes, not really. Jealous of the costumed idols, all she wanted was to be her sister's hero. She did everything in her power to show off for her, learning new tricks and jokes, learning facts about pros, and indulging her when she wanted to play heroes and villains, promising that once she got her Quirk, they'd be pros together. Even now by enrolling in UA Miko was keeping the silly promise she made to Riko when they were children playing heroes in front of the television.

Like every other child obsessed with heroes, Riko's favorite was All Might, the world's Symbol of Peace and Justice; and just like the Symbol of Peace, Miko would become a hero at UA to keep her promise to Riko. She would become a hero her sister could be proud of.

Lighting incense for the second time that day, Miko felt guilty for once again centering her thoughts on Riko. Just earlier that day she promised herself that she'd live so that Kohaku would never feel the same pain Riko's passing caused her, but she was. Selfishly centering her thoughts on her own pain and suffering.

She knew that she didn't give her youngest sister enough attention, certainly not the same amount she gave Riko when they were younger, and their busy schedules and differing hobbies kept them apart more often than not.

She just felt like she could be a better sister than she was.


Akio Tsukikawa's daughter looked positively woeful when he found her weeping silently in front of her sister's shrine. He approached carefully, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder as one would a wounded animal. "Little river, you should be resting right now." He whispered softly, gently dabbing at the small tears on her cheeks with calloused fingers.

She sniffled meekly, but straightened her back, releasing her hold on herself. "I'm just saying good night, Dad." Though she tried to brush off his concern, Akio knew that she was hurting from the day's events. As much as she tried to play pretend, Miko just wasn't meant for the lifestyle she's chosen.

He noticed she kept glancing at the photo of his late daughter, Riko. "Do you still think you're cut out for this?" The father asked, both cautious and curious. He knew for a fact that Miko never truly considered hero work when she was a child- despite the promise she and Riko made together. Though protective and loving towards her younger sister, he knew his daughter would likely never have the heart or backbone that hero work requires. That particular dream fell to her younger sister, who unfortunately would never be able to fulfill the desire.

"You said it yourself. I'm capable of anything I set my mind to." He did, once, many years ago when her grandmother demanded she train in performance art as was custom for the girls in their family; but, he was hoping his words of encouragement would persuade her not to give up on something Miko didn't immediately have a talent for, like dance, or the koto. Akio remained quiet but observed his eldest pretend she was okay when she clearly wasn't.

The fierce love that Riko once filled Miko's heart with had been turned into an aching hole that they both knew nothing could fulfill; but in Miko's mind, she had a duty to keep her promise.

Moving away from such unpleasantness, Akio diverted the subject. "Your school called earlier. You'll have the day off tomorrow. Maybe you could help your aunt with the triplets?"At the mention of the children, Miko warmed up, a small smile gracing her lips. "I think I will." With that, he sent her off to bed, with a brief hug and small peck on her forehead. They went their separate ways in the quiet house.

Miko laid with her back flat on her bed staring at her ceiling. Emitting a soft glow too dull to reflect on her skin were plastic stars she and Riko stuck on the ceiling above her. The little glowing stars looked like fireflies on a dark night and as she observed their haphazard arrangement, Miko's thoughts wondered over to the USJ.

Visions of Todoroki seamlessly subduing villains and Bakugo and Kirishima fearlessly jumping into action floated behind her eyes. Even if she was loathed to admit, they moved better, reacted faster, easier, than she did. The pride she stubbornly wore on her shoulders like an imperial robe felt like thinly veiled arrogance now. She thought back to Mr. Aizawa's words, you think it's gonna be games and playtime?

She knew that it wasn't, knew completely, and was prepared to work tirelessly despite the difficulty to become a proper, amazing hero; but in the end, it was all for naught. Realistically, she knew that she couldn't hold her reaction to real danger against herself. Her life was extremely sheltered, even when she had to work at the hospital, as all Shinoda children do, she was shielded from the especially gruesome cases. Despite that, she had faced hardships, the most obvious being the loss of her sister, and though she was kept away from the Shinoda Hospital emergency room, she had walked by open patients' rooms and seen the aftermath of villain attacks.

She had years of athleticism that was meant to help harness her skills: balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and endurance, all of which helped her harness her Quirk. Undeterred by her talent for her sport, she'd been humbled more than once, frequently reminded that greatness was achieved through constant, continuous effort. The work was never done, as there would always be someone who worked just as hard or harder than you.

No matter how hard her grandmother tried to teach her failure, she'd excelled in spite of the difficulty, and she believed there was nothing that could stop her. When grandmother approved her UA application, she trained endlessly under her father's care and was confident in her abilities. Regardless, her entry into the hero course had proven to her that yes, there will be people who are better than you at your trade. Today's events proved it. She had mistakenly and foolishly convinced herself that she earned her pride and instead let arrogance take over and fester.

It wasn't as if she was completely oblivious, though. She knew she felt threatened by her classmates and allowed her arrogance to camouflage her insecurity. Her family had taken great care to teach her that arrogance was weakness disguised as strength, and shame took root in her heart as she grimaced at the passing thought that perhaps she wasn't cut out to be a hero.

Bzzt. On the bedside table to her right, her cellphone lit up with a new notification.

Kirishima :
I heard your family picked you up school, Mina said you looked a little skittish. Hope everything's okay!

The corner of her lip upturned. He was really was a nice guy. The sight of his message caused flashes of Bakugo and Kirishima to go through her mind again. She sighed tiredly. They had a drive that pushed them into action, Miko did not. Beneath her sheets, Miko's face scrunched up. No matter what the circumstances, she had to keep working hard, to keep her promise and to be a role model for Kohaku. She would become a hero worthy of her sisters.

Finally having worked through the worst of her emotions, her heart hardened, her skin turned to steel, her thoughts lingered on the USJ. Shigaraki's words resonated within her. Was violence really the only way to manage peace? It seemed paradoxical. As a child, she was aware of the dichotomy of good and evil. Children were especially prone to categorizing vague ideas and difficult concepts into bite size, easy to manage boxes for comprehension, and most adults were still guilty of this.

This was evident in the way news outlets handled villain attacks or pretty crimes, people were all too eager to choose a side, context be damned. Conflicting feelings coursed through the teen, torn between supporting heroes and sympathizing with villains who you couldn't really ever know why they do the things that they do.

Sure, there were definitely people who enjoyed having power over others, but Miko was also aware that sometimes people were so desperate to live that they commit crimes to survive. Like some of the petty villains and criminals she came into contact with at her family hospital. They only committed crimes as a means of survival.

In that sense, could heroes even really be called heroes for upholding a system that punished those it wasn't built to support? She felt guilty for thinking this way.

The thought of heroes brought her back to Mr. Aizawa and his amazing display of courage and professionalism fighting while outnumbered to save them, and from what she'd overheard, sustaining horrible damage to his face. It was a terrible thought, but Miko morbidly wondered if he fell victim to permanent damage to his eyes and if he'd ever be able to do hero work again.

Miko sat upright abruptly, tossing the covers off her feet. Maybe she felt guilty for thinking he received permanent damage trying to save them, but Miko decided that she'd have to give her teacher a gift to show her thanks for the hero, and she had the perfect thing in mind. Resigned to waiting, she pulled the covers back over herself, remaining flat on her back as she slept.


Sunlight spilled from the cracks of her window curtains, illuminating tiny dust particles that floated around Miko's bedroom, the heat of the rays coaxing the girl out of her slumber. It took her a moment to wake up fully, and she jumped out of bed to get ready. Day off notwithstanding, she dressed stylishly, notably not in a kimono, to meet with her grandmother, who she knew rose at the crack of dawn every morning. Her reason for seeing her wasn't formal, only a small request to aid with the gift she had in mind for the teacher who risked his life and livelihood to protect his students. After brushing her teeth and deciding to give her scalp a break by leaving her hair down, she took off for the old woman's home.

The journey was short, and Miko let herself in announcing out her entrance when she stepped in, her grandmother calling back from the kitchen. Miko bowed politely when she saw her grandmother, who was dressed comfortably, enjoying a cup of tea. "Good morning, little snake. What brings you here on your day off?"

"About yesterday…I'm sure you've already heard about the injuries Mr. Aizawa sustained- since he was taken to our hospital." Her grandmother nodded knowingly and gave her a look telling her to continue. "Well, considering the damage he took in defending me and the rest of the students, I would like to send him a gift."

The Shinoda matriarch sipped her hot tea to avoid answering her granddaughter's silent request. She was pleased to see that her efforts and teachings didn't go to waste. Even still, she did her duty and questioned her motives. "He's a pro hero, of course he was going to protect you. It's his job. That hardly warrants a gift from you, Miko." She watched Miko gather herself with perceptive eyes. Miko felt flustered, but not completely caught off guard by her grandmother's impassivity. After all, it was all a game of go.

Miko inhaled, straightening her back proudly in a way the matriarch grilled in her since she learned to walk. "Still, I would like to show my gratitude. He's my teacher and he deserves my respect. I also feel that as Shinoda it would be dishonorable not to acknowledge the hardship he had to endure to save one of your heirs."

The old matriarch held back a snort, so that's how she wanted to play it. "Glad to see you haven't forgotten your etiquette lessons, Miko. Now tell me what you had in mind." Miko's face was pleased and proud to have passed through the conversation with minimal effort.

Her day off started smoothly. After her conversation with her grandmother, she'd taken off to visit her aunt Ran on the opposite side of the compound. Her children, two boys and one girl, were still not old enough to enter elementary school, so they spent most of their time at home with their mother. Her aunt, the youngest of the four Shinoda children, was grateful to have Miko help out for the day. She'd planned on taking them out shopping, but at Miko's insistence, ventured out alone to get some time to herself.

The teen herself felt at ease with the children. They were easily entertained, and Miko's own eagerness to please them made it easy for her to charm them with expressive faces and exaggerated reactions as they played together. Just as she was eager to please them, they were eager to please her, exchanging playful quips and pulling faces at one another.

The oldest of the triplets, a little girl dubbed Nori with orange hair like her father, decided that she and her brothers Yuushi (who had pale, metallic, bronze hair) and Ryuu (the youngest and only child with hair of the trademark Shinoda silver like his mother's) would perform a small concert for their older cousin. As was typical of Shinoda children, they were trained in some variation of the arts as a way of appeasing their family goddess, Benzaiten. Their grandmother was ecstatic when they were born as a trio.

Her little cousins pulled her into their living room and had her sit pleasantly in a seiza while they brought out their instruments. Ryuu and Nori dragged out a small children's keyboard for Ryuu to play while Yuushi brought out the smallest violin she'd ever seen. The triplets gathered themselves in front of Miko, whispering heatedly to each other before seemingly coming to a decision.

Miko grinned at them impishly as she watched, her grin widening when she heard Nori begin to sing an old folk song about sakura trees in blossom as she was accompanied by her brother's keyboard and violin. Little Nori had butchered some of the lyrics and her brothers similarly made mistakes with their respective instruments; but overall, the performance was much better than Miko could have produced at their age.

The children bowed at the finish of their performance, and Miko clapped for them appreciatively. "That was wonderful! In a few years, you'll be good enough to play with Kohaku." They had the grace to blush bashfully and tackled her with hugs.

They spent the rest of their time together chatting about everything and nothing all at the same time, giggling and smiling all the while. One thing she truly enjoyed about spending the day with the children was their ability to empathize and understand, soaking up all her words in their simple conversations and especially when they offered her their own observations and analyses.

She fixed them a much needed lunch, and once they filled their bellies they fell asleep in a dog pile on the mats of their playroom. The small toddlers refused to nap unless she laid down with them, and that's how Miko found herself as a pillow for three tiny ankle biters. Beneath their weight, Miko's heart warmed, full of love for her kin. With the children on top of her, she allowed herself to succumb to sleep and was only awoken when she heard the door to the home open and close.

Her aunt's face appeared through the hallway and smiled at the sight before her. A light laugh escaped her chest and Miko slowly removed the children from atop her to help organize the groceries her aunt returned home with. As a reward for her help, Miko received a yogurt from the pack that was meant for her cousins. They were still asleep where she left them, resting peacefully with only a slight twitch of their mouths, so Miko quietly returned home after saying her goodbyes. Spending time with her younger cousins raised her spirits immensely.

Perhaps one day she'd have her own children to raise in the compound.

The fifteen year old took her time walking back to her home, enjoying the cool breeze and the smell that it carried from the garden. It felt like she didn't get much peace these days. With a relaxed look on her face, Miko let herself in to find someone sitting in front of Riko's shrine, head bowed in prayer.

She halted at the entrance and took off her shoes silently, knowing that her mother would prefer she keep quiet while offering a prayer for her late daughter. Miko's shoes were already placed neatly by her mother's when the older woman stood up on her heels to turn at look at her. Perfectly poised and beautiful beyond compare, Miko waited for her mother to address her.

Dr. Aoi Shinoda M.D., surgical attending, Head of the Shinoda Research and Medical Center's Department for Pediatrics and Rare Quirks, founder of the Shinoda Children's Hospital, and wife of Akio Tsukikawa evaluated her eldest daughter cooly. Red eyes that could freeze men in their tracks with a single glare roved over Miko's form, assessing.

"You haven't been sleeping well."

Miko chuckled despite herself, she knew that she had slight bags under her eyes. "It was a little difficult considering the circumstances, Mother." She let her mother continue to scan her, her red eyes landing on her hair, which hung loosely around her shoulders. Leave it to her mother to pick up on every small detail.

Even though she knew she wanted to, her mother kept silent as she approached with her arms outstretched. Suddenly feeling like a child, Miko felt her posture droop and she allowed herself to collapse into her mother's embrace, both mother and daughter holding onto each other with a vice. They needed to assure themselves that they were both okay.

Miko pressed her face into her mother's bosom, inhaling her perfume. A subtle sweet scent that comforted her even in her childhood, her tight embrace helping secure a sense of safety Miko knew she missed but couldn't bring herself to ask of her. "I was worried sick," red eyes closed and combed deft fingers through the silver hair atop Miko's head, "but I'm glad you're alright little river." The teenager kept silent, allowing herself to relinquish the responsibility of maintaining composure to her mother, who came back to the compound after hearing about the incident from grandmother.

Dr. Aoi spent most of her days at the hospital in a different city. After the death of her second child, she threw herself desperately into her work, spurred by pain and grief. It was selfish, but it was for the best. Her husband and children knew that she wouldn't be able to provide the necessary support they needed from her as she dealt with her own grief, and they didn't fault her for it. Still, Miko couldn't help the small seed of resentment in her stomach.

Her mother pulled away, smiling softly at Miko, "Since you have today off, I thought we could spend some time together and have a family dinner." It wasn't that late into the afternoon, so there was still time to make a day of it. As she looked up to her mother, who she looked so much alike, she grinned.

"Sure."


When they returned to school the day after, Miko was back on her high horse despite all the soul searching she had done the day prior. Perhaps it was easier to resort to what she knew and pull her cloak of pride back onto her shoulders than walk around bare and vulnerable to her emotions. She behaved as if none of the events affected her, momentarily acknowledging that none of her peers seemed to be as affected by it as she had been before purging that thought from her mind as soon as she thought it.

After their heartwarming reunion, she and her mother went out for a day on the town. They visited various shops, buying clothes, eating snacks, buying presents for her cousins, and came home with lifted spirits, giggling, and smiling together. Kohaku was ecstatic to see her mother home, as they didn't spend much time together. Even her father, who was normally pretty quiet, was jovial and talkative in his wife's presence.

Their family dinner was filled with loud tales of Kohaku's new class and her viola accomplishments, her father's bad jokes, and many, many smiles. They stayed around the dinner table even after they finished their meal and reluctantly went to bed once their parents decided it was too late into the night to continue to stay awake. Both Kohaku and Miko were happy to see their parents go to bed together if a little sad they wouldn't get to enjoy more time as a family.

But they did each get a ride from their mother to school. Miko was internally squealing because she got to spend more time with her mother before she returned to her duties at the hospital. Though her metaphorical cloak of pride was back on her shoulders, her peers noticed the subtle change in her demeanor when she entered the classroom. Even Sero greeted her today because of it.

Her hair was back atop her head in twin buns, held together with new scrunchies purchased by her mother on their outing. Jiro noticed them right away, "Nice look, Tsukikawa. Did you spend your day off shopping?"

Miko's half smile looked more like a smirk, "Yes. My mother wanted to spend some time together since we got the day off."

"Aw, that's nice of her! You must have really enjoyed it, Tsukikawa, you're practically glowing!" Kirishima leaned towards her, smiling brightly. Miko ducked her head slightly, hand drawn up to the back of her head. "Well, she's pretty busy running the hospital so I don't get to see her often," she offered as an excuse.

Kaminari, who'd been half paying attention, interjected, "Oh yeah, your family owns that huge conglomerate. Must be nice having all that money to buy cute things." He grinned roguishly at her, "You look good, Tsukikawa." Miko, for all the pride she carried within herself, couldn't do anything other than awkwardly wave off his compliment and avoid his gaze with an embarrassed scowl on her face. It didn't help that Jiro saw how embarrassed she was and began to poke at Kaminari with her earphone jacks in retaliation.

Sero, who was still hanging around Kirishima and Kaminari before class started, caught sight of Tsukikawa's blushing cheeks and felt his own heat up at the sight of her, cute.

The poor girl was saved from further embarrassment when Mr. Aizawa stood up at the front of the room and announced that the UA Sports Festival would still be taking place as planned despite the villain attack they suffered two days ago. Miko tensed in her seat. This was her chance to make a name for herself, away from the shadow of the Shinoda name.

She had her work cut out for her though. Since most athletic competitions were still televised, though no longer as popular as they were pre-Quirk era, she'd already somewhat had herself branded as a gymnast under the Shinoda (and Tsukikawa- another family owned business) name. Not only that, but she and her cousins had all been featured in business insider magazines with the rest of the family, since their grandmother required their participation in the hospital as volunteers as children. Breaking away from all of that to mark herself as a hero would require a memorable, standout performance. It would also prove to her family that she has what it takes to be a hero.

At lunchtime, Miko approached the faculty room to give Mr. Aizawa a customized (very expensive) Shinoda brand medical kit. Though his will was undoubtedly strong, Miko did not forget his flippancy regarding his health when his students expressed their concern and was annoyed that he considered his well-being irrelevant. Hopefully, the kit would motivate him to take his health more seriously.

She held the kit in front of her with two hands and popped her head inside. Present Mic was the first to notice her. "Yoo little listener! What brings you here?" Mr. Aizawa, who was seated in front of a desktop, swiveled around in his chair to face the intruder. Miko addressed them both, "I have a delivery to make." She waited by the door until they waved her in, Present Mic leaving his coworker to deal with his student.

Mr. Aizawa peered at her through tired, narrow slits, voice muffled by the bandages obscuring his face. "What's this about, Tsukikawa?" The silver haired teen gazed at him levelly, and he could see in her stance that she had years of etiquette and practice in the way she held her expression neutral and posture steady as she addressed him. "On behalf of the Shinoda family and myself, I would like to thank you Mr. Aizawa for your courage at the USJ. Please accept this gift of gratitude." The older man didn't move as the girl held out a very expensive medical kit with two hands in his direction and bowed.

"Tsukikawa, you don't have to give me a gift. It's my job as your teacher to protect my students." And besides, he thought, it's not like he could actually accept it with his arms bandaged stiffly to his torso. She didn't move from her position. He could hear Present Mic struggling to cover his laughter on the other side of the room. Bastard.

He exhaled forcefully through his nose. If he could pinch his nose he would. "Tsukikawa," he tried again, "this is illogical. You are my student and therefore my responsibility. I was only doing my job. That does not require a gift." Miko continued to hold out the gift, "Right now I am a messenger of the Shinoda family, acting of their accord. We are grateful for your efforts."

She looked up at him, "If you look inside this kit, it's been specially made with your Quirk and current condition in mind." Present Mic, who'd managed to sober up during their exchange, walked over to take the gift from the young girl's hands to demonstrate for his friend. Gloved fingers gingerly opened the small white box and was visibly impressed with the contents.

Aside from the standard contents, high grade eye drops, melatonin, packs of energy replenishing powders and nutrients, protein bars, even dried water were packed neatly into specialized compartments of this very obviously custom made container. He could even see a small sample bottle of lotion in there, something that was very obviously something Tsukikawa used frequently due to her own Quirk. Inside was a small note on the Shinoda family letterhead addressed to Mr. Aizawa and a small business card with no name but an email and phone number printed on it.

Both teachers were baffled by the sheer luxury and care that went into this gift. Neither one of them were poor by any means, but in her quest to gift her teacher something so thoughtful and what she thought worthy of his actions, she had inadvertently made both of them feel broke. Hell, if Present Mic were the one receiving this, there's no way he could refuse it.

"Of course, as you use the items you'll have to replace them eventually. Just call the number on that card or send an email to that address requesting for a refill under your name and with a list of the necessary items and they'll be shipped to you."

She paused briefly, a little shy, "Or you could just let me know and I'll pick it up for you."

Mr. Aizawa was struck by the amount of consideration Tsukikawa put into this gift. Still…"Tsukikawa, there's no way I can accept this." At that, Present Mic flailed his arms around and stuck his face into his fiends. "Shota, don't be so modest! Just look at how much thought, this little listener has put into making this for you!"

Eraserhead's tone did not waver, "She said she was here as a representative of the Shinoda family. So it wasn't her that made this, Hizashi." Miko sucked her teeth.

The Voice Hero didn't stop, "Still its a gift from a very big company, Shota, it would be rude if you didn't accept-"

"I did say I was here on behalf of my family and myself, Mr. Aizawa. I did also have a hand in arranging this kit for you." Present Mic turned to imploringly at his friend.

Mr. Aizawa sighed heavily, seemly accepting his fate. He placed his eyes on his student. "Fine then. I'll accept this token of your gratitude on one condition." Both his student and his friend seemed to hang on his word. "Tell your grandmother that she needs to stop harassing me throughout the day asking for updates about you. It's unnecessary and prevents me from properly attending to the other nineteen students I have in my class."

He watched Tsukikawa lift her chin, "Of course, Mr. Aiazwa. I'll relay the message." How embarrassing. She should have known her grandmother was keeping tabs on her. How else would she have found out of the villain attack at the USJ so quickly? Of course he would only accept it only if her grandmother stops being so overbearing and nosy.

He continued speaking, "A good support system is essential but they cannot do the work for her, Tsukikawa." He looked off to the side, and it's getting annoying. "Now then, now that that's settled, head on over to lunch, Tsukikawa, and get something to eat." She turned and took her cue to leave.

"Oh, and Tsukikawa?" She stopped to look at him. "Thank you." She smiled pleasantly and nodded in acknowledgment before walking out.

"I was at the USJ too, ya know," Present Mic mumbled to himself.

Aizawa rolled his eyes exasperatedly. "Shut up, Hizashi."


The small deviation from her routine didn't cost as much as she thought it did time wise. Once again she found herself sitting with Kirishima, Kaminari, Sero, and Jiro. She ate as quickly as she could, hoping to have enough spare time to head to the bathroom to apply some lotion. Her ferocious eating didn't go unnoticed by her peers, but their thoughts went unsaid. Kirishima, who'd had more than enough time to finish his plate, turned to look at her. "Oh, hey, Tsukikawa, did you get my message a couple of nights ago?"

Said girl paused and took a moment to dab at her mouth before meeting his eyes. "Yeah, I did. Sorry about not getting back to you. Things got busy." The red head laughed off her apology easily, sharp teeth glinting as he grinned at her. "No worries, man, as long as things were all right with your family. Mina said you looked a little spooked when that fancy car came to pick you up."

Miko cleared her throat, lifting her chin slightly. "Yes, well, I was hoping to avoid worrying them that's all." She was smirking at them as if she knew something they didn't. It felt a little condescending when she did that sometimes.

Kaminari tossed his hair back. "Makes sense. My parents freaked when they found out about what happened. But look at us now, we're total celebrities!" He huffed dramatically.

Their taller friend Sero was quick to join in, eyes crinkling as he smiled widely, "We'll be ultra rich!" He happily exclaimed.

The three boys exchanged jovial laughs and Miko's mouth upturned into a small grin as she listened to them. Grinning at his friends, Kirishima turned to Miko, and asked calmly, "Say, why do you want to be a hero, Miko?"

The silver haired girl hummed lowly, chewing on some curry and rice. She briefly wondered if she could get away with ignoring his question and pretending she didn't hear him. Based on the way he continued to eye her, the answer was no.

Now that she was being asked to voice her reason for becoming a hero aloud, she felt it was a little foolish. In essence, her reason was to be a role model. Yes, she was keeping a promise, but when she made that promise it was because she wanted to be the hero her sister looked up to. The young teen could feel the eyes of their companions on her, there was no escaping it. Trying to hide her embarrassment, Miko looked off to the side to avoid their gaze. "To fulfill a dream," she said distantly.

Kaminari smirked at her as he leaned on his hand. "Everyone dreams of being a hero, so that doesn't really answer the question."

Miko focused her turquoise eyes to confront him, she faced him mimicking his patronizing gaze. "Not my dream. Someone else's."

Kirishima who'd thus far been silent looked at her curiously. "Someone else's?"

The girl relaxed, sitting back in her seat, trying to appear aloof whilst she stuck her chin in the air. "Yeah. Someone who can't realize it on their own." Her red haired friend paid no notice to her cold expression, and asked further, "Is there a hero you look up to or aspire to be like?"

"Myself."

"Yourself?! Isn't that a little presumptuous?" Sero asked. He thought that since she came back from her little date with her mother she'd be much nicer. Guess he was wrong.

Miko chuckled to herself a little, "No, not really." Before they hounded her further, she took a moment to explain, "If I want to be a great hero, I want to be someone who people can look up to. I don't aspire to be like anyone else because I'm the first and only me. I'm going to set my own values and ideals and that's what people will look up to me for." She took a small sip of her water. "My hero is me in ten years and I'm going to keep working towards becoming that person every single day; and in ten years once I turn 25, I'll keep working until I'm the hero I'll become at 35…and at 45 and 55 until the day I no longer have ten years ahead of me."

Their table sat in stunned silence, Tsukikawa's heartfelt speech had captured their hearts and they were surprised by how much thought she put into her answer. Kirishima was even so amazed he had small tears in his eyes. "That was so manly!"

"Wow Tsukikawa who knew you had it in you to be so cool!"

Miko brushed off their comments with a small chuckle and continued to eat her meal. Now that she thought about it, spending her life keeping a promise seemed a little stupid and idealistic, but she'd never given much thought to her future until Riko passed. She'd come from a rich family, who no doubt would support her (even now they were supporting her), and if things hadn't worked out the way they did, she'd probably end up working in their hospital anyway. She was grateful to be able to pursue such a quixotic dream.

Taking a sip of her water, Miko listened to her friends' chatter until the lunch period ended.


Jiro and Miko were discussing some of the literary tropes Cementoss had gone over that day when the door to their classroom opened to reveal a blockade. In the back of her mind, Miko was contemplating some discussion points she'd like to bring up with the hero regarding the philosophy of what it means to live in a hero society. Some of the books they were reading presented interesting tales that, at least at the time of their publication, didn't quite fit the hero society ideal.

Both girls agreed to consult one another before their upcoming Socratic seminar to make sure they each covered important talking points. Pleased with their conversation, Miko wondered if now she could consider Jiro a friend. Humming lowly to herself, her attention was abruptly drawn to the front of the classroom where Uraraka and Iida were blocked in by a large number of students. The arrival of several other students at their doorway was a little surprising to Miko.

Though somewhat intrigued, Miko hoped by remaining indifferent she'd help the those around her keep their composure. Already many of the students in 1-A were freaking out by the presence of the entire first year population at their door. Curiously, she wondered if the villain attack had to do with their paranoia or if the children in her class were naturally easily cowed.

The silver haired remained in her seat, lounging like a monarch, letting the scene in front of her play out before she decided what she wanted to do about it if anything at all. It wasn't until the hot headed Bakugo explained that they were only here to scope out their competition what with the sports festival coming up that Miko felt her mouth pull into a scowl. It irritated her that they couldn't mind their own business, class 1-A had just endured an entire villain attack and they had to swing by to gossip and gawk. Miko was organizing her notes into her backpack when she heard someone speak that triggered something primal in her.

Miko sat back in her seat legs crossed and a hand drawn up to her mouth coquettishly as she listened to the newcomer with purple hair complain about the structure of the hero course to Bakugo who'd tried to exit just seconds earlier.

"…I'm here to let you know that if you don't bring your very best, I'll steal your spot right from under you. Consider this a declaration of war." Miko couldn't stop the side of her mouth curling up or the lift of her brow, expression challenging.

Her impassive mood quickly shifted into a haughty attitude very much like Bakugo's own, and she stood up abruptly, the noise of her seat scratching against the floor, catching the attention of those in the class and those blocking the door. She chuckled, lifting her backpack onto her shoulder and took her time to slide her way to the door. Though she was small and heavily muscled, she moved with the powerful grace that mesmerized those watching her slink her way through desks and students like a snake on a hunt.

Once she reached her destination, there was a pause as she stared up at the boy with purple hair from the bottom of her nose. Making a show of eying him up and down, she taunted him with a low voice, "Do your worst." The scowl and choice words he muttered to her only made her skin feel like steel.

Momentarily, she wondered if she made a mistake. She'd made a target of herself, and in this festival, she wouldn't be scored the same way she was when she was a gymnast. She didn't even know what she'd be facing the day of the festival. Even still, Miko told herself, when she was riled up like this she couldn't keep herself from rising to the ruse. In her competition days, she was not known to be kind to other gymnasts and had a reputation for being fiercely competitive.

"Tsukikawa, not you too! Now everyone hates us!"

Next to her, Bakugo glanced at her before focusing his gaze out the door. "These people don't matter. All that matters is that I win." Miko bristled when he took off without acknowledging anyone else, before straightening her posture and followed him out, gait proud and loudly echoing even amongst the mob.

The other students of her class went ignored as she followed Bakugo's trail. Of course the brat would rise to that guy's declaration of war. Miko wanted to use the sports festival to prove herself to her family, as well as assure herself that she has what it takes. She had two weeks to turn herself into a gold medalist and it was in no way enough time, but hopefully, it was enough to improve her chances.

She strode through the halls with a proud gait, eyes unwavering, and chin in the air. If what she'd heard about previous year's festivals was true, they were likely to face other students one on one in a direct battle, but there was no telling what the other trials would be like. It wasn't likely that she'd be able to increase her strength of stamina to any major difference than to the level she was at right now, which was pretty decent given the training regime her father had her stick to once she quit gymnastics and began her hero's journey.

With that in mind, it was best to focus on strategy and Quirk competence, this was after all her debut into the hero world, and cementing herself as a powerful contender early on in her career would increase her chances of getting into a good agency in the future.

"Watch where you're going, you damn idiot!" Miko looked up abruptly, stopping herself from running into the blonde bomber in front of her. He glared at her angrily. "You following me, princess?" She hadn't realized that while she was devising her game plan she increased her pace to the point that she'd almost ran directly into his back.

She couldn't believe he remembered that stupid nickname. "No, now if you'll excuse me-"

He cut her off prematurely. "I heard you talking to that extra earlier. Don't even think about getting in my way!"

Miko lifted a brow, face mocking as she kept her posture tall. As much as she loved to taunt the competition, sometimes it was better if you showed them through actions that you were better than them. She decided to keep it civil, not wanting to deal with his shitty personality. "You're one to talk. Just bring your A-game at the festival and maybe you won't have to worry about me." He sized her up before deciding that she either wasn't worth it or that she received his message.

Miko tried to keep her distance from him, she didn't need his bad attitude at the end of her day. Thankfully, he ignored her for the rest of the walk until they reached the gate. He seemed to tense up as they continued to walk in the same direction, gearing himself up to accuse her following him she stopped him before he could even open his mouth. She had to nip him in the bud.

Exasperated, she tried to keep herself calm before she let their little spat turn into something uncouth, "I take the train too, idiot!" Bakugo, as aloof as he made himself appear in front of the crowd earlier, looked more like a petulant child as his shoulders seized up and he growled at her. "Tch, whatever! Just quit following me, you damn princess!"

Feathers ruffled, she felt her arms tremble with an annoyance bordering on anger. She ground her teeth and stalked past him, ignoring the nonsense he was shouting at her as she escaped. She huffed loudly once she took a seat on the train that would finally taker her home. Slow, deliberate breaths helped relax her shoulders, her back remained rigid as the train took off from the station. She took out her cell phone and searched for her cousin's number before sending him a text. Grimacing to herself, she waited for his reply. Hopefully everything would go according to plan.

Predictably, Ichigo didn't answer until she was preparing herself for bed.

Be ready to train in two days.

Miko's grin was devilish as she read the message. Things were definitely going according to plan.


Her cousin Ichigo, handsome with his unnaturally blue hair and true silver roots, was dressed in casual training attire. His heavily muscled obliques and the edges of his pectorals poked out from the sides of his open tank top, much like her own muscled torso. Though she wasn't as heavily defined.

They were gathered at her father's dojo. It wasn't anything particularly special, just a small, one room building near the family temple. It was open to the family, though they had to make sure to clean up after themselves lest her father revoke their privileges for a month if he was feeling especially vindictive.

Ichigo smiled boyishly when he caught sight of his favorite cousin, gums and all. "Miko-tan!" Miko's mouth twisted ruefully at the childish address. "I take it your day off was restful?" She noticed he didn't mention the forsaken incident but didn't comment. "Yeah, I spent some time with the triplets before Mom took me out for the rest of the day. I even managed to catch tea with Auntie." His beaming expression became even more loving and he ruffled her hair affectionately.

"I'm glad to hear it. Now, let's see your progress with training."

Ichigo directs her to demonstrate her the extent of her Quirk abilities, and once she showed off her control, how far she could stretch out her whips, what she could do with the whips before he asks her spar. Throughout the entire evaluation, Ichigo's face remained impassive, whatever he was thinking, Miko couldn't tell. Through his small display of analytical criticism, it dawned on her that her silly, boyish, and cheerful cousin was actually a well trained hero. She looked at him with a bit of wonder, watching him take a step back to gather his thoughts.

"Well, Uncle Akio has been doing a good job with your hand-to-hand. You're decent, for a novice. It's only been a year, right?" She nodded in affirmation, panting slightly from the exertion, he certainly gave her a run for her money. "With some extra training I can probably give you a technique that'll give you some extra mobility." Miko instantly perked up. "But that's only if you manage to make better use of your whips." She deflated.

He tried cheering her up at her expression, "Don't look so glum! You've already got a decent grasp on your whips, I'm just gonna help you level up. Realistically, there isn't a lot of time to learn a completely new technique, but keep it in mind for next time; as in, after the festival."

She quirked a brow, "So you'll continue teaching me techniques?" Ichigo rolled his eyes, "Obviously. Isn't that what I told you the last time I saw you?" Miko looked at him expectantly, "I was under the impression you might have to keep some things secret, ya know, as a hero?" Her cousin laughed at her, "We're family, should anything happen to me, you would carry on my legacy, river."

Miko's smiled dropped slowly as reality sunk in. Ichigo's work was dangerous, at any given point there was the chance that he would sustain a life threatening injury that could keep him from coming home. The thought almost made her choke. She did her best not to show how much this bothered her in front of her favorite cousin, who still smiled despite the heavy implication his words made on her. The silver haired girl took a deep breath and exhaled slowly to gather her wits. As always, she was eager to please.

Inhaling deeply, she rose her chin and grinned enthusiastically, turquoise shining brightly in a way that her cousin hadn't seen since she was a child. She beamed at Ichigo, white teeth showing through the way their grandmother chastised her for being unladylike but secretly loved, with her hands on her hips and her chest out like All Might.

"Let's get to it then, sensei."

Ichigo's head flew backward as he barked out another laugh at her silly pose. "Ha! All right then, river. Let's think about how we're doing to plan this out," She dropped her hands from her hips and pouted, pleased he moved on from the slightly depressing topic of legacy. The pompadour he wore wobbled atop his head as he seated himself across from his younger cousin who copied his movements. His position was relaxed, right leg extended and his left bent so he could rest his left arm on his knee. Ichigo leaned on his right hand as he leveled her with his ruby gaze. "UA always has a one on one tournament, so we'll have to continue to polish your hand-to-hand. Assuming you even make it that far."

He laughed at the expression on her face. "Don't worry! The reason we're going to expand your whips' versatility is to make sure you get there in the first place. You're much smaller than a lot of your competitors — well, the general population in general — so even though you're strong, you're going to have to make up for the lost range your body doesn't give you naturally." He paused to watch her face. His precious cousin looked more than intrigued to hear the rest of his training plan.

Smirking at her, his voice lowered dramatically. "You have to make your whips act as an extension of you. Don't think of them as something you attach to your arms, make them your arms." Miko's eyes widened childishly, he reveled in it. "Maybe if you're good enough, you could do the same with your legs. But for now, focus on creating new arms."

Miko nodded determinedly, sitting up from her seat on the floor. Ichigo followed her up silently. Their eyes met, turquoise meeting red, and they readied their stances.